Mayor Timonen establishes a Bloomberg Philanthropies innovation team in Vantaa
The new innovation team will help shape Vantaa's solutions for climate action, as well as support the social inclusion of the entire population and help bring them into the labor market.
Vantaa is one of 18 new cities to join the international Bloomberg i-team project. The project is being implemented by over 100 cities in 16 countries on four continents, impacting over 100 million residents.
Mayor Pekka Timonen has established a city-level innovation team (i-team) in Vantaa. The i-team, supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies organization, will include three new specialized employees, as well as the city’s own experts. Their task is to help the city's employees and partners plan and implement solutions for the chosen challenges.
The i-team will utilize various sources of data, build cooperation in different sectors and bring together Vantaa’s resources. The team’s goal is to develop and pilot concrete, resident-focused measures that will improve the lives of people living in the city.
The purpose of the new team is to develop two of Vantaa’s important issues in an innovative way: the employment and social inclusion of all residents, and climate action. The project strives to get all residents to help in solving climate challenges.
“Vantaa is the fastest-changing city in Finland. We have long been developing our ability to respond to arising issues in an agile and sustainable manner,” says the Mayor of Vantaa, Pekka Timonen.
“We are working in the long term to fight climate change, and it is important to get everyone in the city to participate in that work. It is a wonderful acknowledgement of our innovative capabilities for Bloomberg Philanthropies to have chosen us to participate in the program. The new i-team will reinforce our ability to respond to and solve these issues in a bold way,” Timonen adds.
With its leader at the helm, the i-team will create a new way to promote innovations in Vantaa. In addition, the team will bring expertise in data analysis, artificial intelligence, digitalization, knowledge development and project management and implementation to Vantaa, and the team will regularly report on their progress to the mayor.
The work of local governments is regionally and globally significant
National and even global politics are increasingly connected to decision-making at the city level. In order for local governments to make use of their potential, they need experts and tools that will help solve problems across organizational boundaries. At the same time, the capacity to properly utilize data and developing technologies is necessary, as is the ability to center the actual needs of residents in activities.
This is a particularly topical matter in Europe: according to a survey by the Eurocities network, over 60 percent of European mayors feel that having the capacity to implement high-quality solutions is the best strategy for achieving their most important objectives.
However, at the same time, the survey showed that most cities lack the resources to solve current challenges. The Bloomberg Philanthropies i-team project offers municipalities funding and expertise for establishing a multidisciplinary, goal-oriented unit to meet these needs. The project is part of Bloomberg's Government Innovation program.
“The innovation teams we support help to build effective and efficient administration in municipalities around the world,” says James Anderson, leader of the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies.
“We are glad that this operating model is expanding with 18 new municipal teams in Europe. The team members work with local governments creatively and ambitiously, break boundaries, solve problems and produce concrete results that residents can see.”
18 new cities joining
Bloomberg Philanthropies i-team projects are being implemented by over 100 cities in 16 countries on four continents, impacting over 100 million residents. In addition, the project has inspired hundreds of other local governments to start utilizing innovation systems and practices.
Vantaa is one of the 18 European cities that have now joined the project. The new municipalities are in eight countries, with a total population of 34 million people. The new i-teams will tackle various challenges in everything from strengthening disaster preparedness to reducing poverty among young people and decreasing households’ energy loads.
The cities joining the project are: Brussels, Belgium; Zagreb, Croatia; Helsinki, Finland; Turku, Finland; Vantaa, Finland; Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; Leipzig, Germany; Mannheim, Germany; Oslo, Norway; Madrid, Spain; Valencia, Spain; Zaragoza, Spain; Stockholm, Sweden; Edinburgh, UK; North East Combined Authority, UK; Liverpool City Region, UK; Greater Manchester Combined Authority, UK; and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, UK.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating sustainable changes in five key areas: the arts, education, the environment, government innovations and public health.
Bloomberg Philanthropies is based on the donations of Michael R. Bloomberg, which are channeled through his foundation, corporate and personal donations. In addition, the initiative includes the Bloomberg Associates consulting firm, which advises cities all around the world. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies donated a total of 3.7 billion dollars to different causes. You can find more information by visiting bloomberg.org, subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook and X.